In 2025, Leo UK and McDonald’s noted that a trip to McDonald’s is often life’s best detour. The campaign, Side Missions, transformed everyday visits, such grabbing a Big Mac on a road trip or a McMuffin before work, into interactive quests. These detours became side missions, often more fun than the main event. Fans could complete daily challenges via the MyMcDonald’s app, earning digital badges and legendary rewards, all while unlocking exclusive food offers and weekend loot drops.

This year, rather than simply borrowing from gaming culture, McDonald’s and Leo’s Side Missions campaign teams up with Xbox, bringing legendary food from games into the real world, in a campaign co-created with fans of six of Xbox’s most recognisable gaming franchises, Halo: Campaign Evolved, Fallout 76, Forza Horizon 6, Overwatch, World of Warcraft and Candy Crush.

Tim Kenward, senior vice president, chief marketing officer, McDonald’s UK & Ireland, stated, “Gaming is all about imagination and the worlds we love to get lost in. What excites me about this partnership is that we’re bringing parts of these iconic gaming worlds to life, giving fans the chance to experience food they have only ever seen on screen. As a huge Fallout fan, I’m most excited for the Blamco Cheesy Potato Bites.”

At the centre of the partnership is a limited-time Side Missions Menu, inspired by famous and often mythical foods from each game. The menu brings in-game food into the real world, from Halo-inspired Black Pepper & Garlic McNuggets, based on Moa Nuggets, to Blamco Cheese Bites inspired by Fallout 76’s Blamco Mac & Cheese.

Andrew Long, chief creative officer at Leo UK, commented, “For years fans have been bringing McDonald’s iconic food into the world of their favourite games. So now felt like the perfect moment to turn the tables, by bringing the most iconic food from fans’ favourite games into the world of McDonald’s. From Halo Moa Chicken to Fallout Blamco Cheese, there’s never been a better excuse to take a side mission to McDonald’s.” 

The co-created campaign began with teaser activity on August 11 through XBOX and IP-owned social channels, with McDonald’s Golden Arches reimagined in the visual language of each game. Gaming creators, such as Poopernoddle & Blue & Queenie, are also participating in the campaign by leaking and teasing the collaboration, using streams and social content to seed the idea that legendary in-game food is coming to McDonald’s.

On August 19, a creator preview and tasting event gave gaming creators early access to the menu, packaging and game-inspired details before launch. The event is now built around immersive zones themed around the core IPs, blending gaming lore, Easter eggs and menu discovery moments to co-create content designed to travel across fan communities.

Paid social and creator activity brings the idea to life, showing characters and real cosplayers trialling and reviewing the new menu items. Paid and earned creators including Jakey Davies & George Clarke, bring the Side Missions Menu to life through reviews, reactions, easter eggs and fan-led content, while TikTok activity encourage fans to create their own Side Missions. On YouTube, the campaign makes use of collaborative posting opportunities across Xbox and game IP channels to help gaming communities participate in the campaign.

At launch on August 22, a 60-second hero film showed gaming characters abandoning their main missions to go on a Side Mission to McDonald’s. The spot opens with a scene from Halo: Campaign Evolved, where two Marines take a tactical detour to go on a Side Mission to McDonald’s. The film shows characters from the six gaming titles convening in McDonald’s, having also left their games. The film will run across TV, social and digital, with supporting cutdowns.

OOH and in-restaurant activity make the partnership visible in the real world, using visuals from in the games to create the packaging and menu items. Contextual placements, including journey-led prompts such as Citymapper activity, will encourage fans to leave their main missions to go on a Side Mission to McDonald’s.

The partnership extends into the MyMcDonald’s App, where customers can access daily deals and use their Rewards points to unlock exclusive in-game items in the participating titles. The rewards include bundles, emotes, boosters and skins, with one of the unlocks being a McDonald’s inspired Master Chief Armor for Halo: Campaign Evolved.

The campaign was created by Leo UK for McDonald’s. Media planning and buying was handled by OMD. PR and consumer outreach was handled by Red Consultancy. CRM was handled by TMW, digital by tms, and POP communications by Linney.